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Day: December 17, 2008

I recently bought a laptop for my new job. I chose an HP dv9933cl, intending to install Ubuntu on it. The verdict? It’s great! I bought it from CostCo rather than Newegg because I wanted to avoid shipping in case I needed to replace it, but so far I see no need to replace it.

It has a 17″ screen, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Intel Core 2 Duo, a LightScribe DVD writer, SD card slot, WiFi (802.11abgn), nVidia graphics, and all the regular ports you’d expect. It comes with Windows Vista, which is OK for watching movies, but it’s not the right environment for getting work done. 🙂

Ubuntu 8.10 installed with hardly a hitch. I installed all of the drivers I needed from a standard Ubuntu mirror. The wi-fi didn’t work on the first boot, but apparently something sorted itself out and it began working (and hasn’t stopped working) on the second boot. The wi-fi has better range than any laptop I’ve used before. I can put the laptop to sleep just by closing the lid. Compiz (for desktop 3D effects) works well. The SD card reader works. Even the unusual little infrared remote control that came with the laptop works.

I suspect most laptops in the HP Pavilion dv9000 line will have similar success with Linux. I wish HP would publish something that says Linux works well on it.